Lemon Frosted Lemon Birthday Cake

It was coming up to 7 months since my last post (don't know where that time has gone!) so I thought I should get back on here and post some recipes - more for myself than anyone. To be honest I'm not so sure if anyone has missed it much (apart from my lovely Nosheen) but I have sure missed it. I don't want to make excuses about what has been going on over the past 7 months which has prevented me from blogging as I suspect in the most part it has been laziness. There seems to have always been something else I have needed to be doing and although I have still been cooking and baking I have not been taking the time to write out the recipes or photograph the end results. Various distractions such as work, my university course, moving house and other such life events have invariably taken up my attention. Although I know the up-coming few months are going to be hectic and stressful I am determined to take the time every now and then to come back to A Beggar's Banquet and keep up this hobby-o-mine. So what have I been making in the kitchen these past months? Well I thought I would start by posting the recipe for a gigantic lemon frosted lemon sponge cake that I made for my beloved for his birthday back in November, presented to him along with a handmade card and a large selection of craft beer (bought not made). I think you'll agree it is quite a work of art and its obvious homemade appearance i.e. my temporary inability to write, adds to its charm. He liked it anyway and it tasted pretty good so I would file that one under 'mega success'.

Here is how I made it...

Ingredients
250g butter, at room temp
250g caster sugar
5 eggs, beaten
250g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 2 lemons
1 jar lemon curd

For the frosting:
500g icing sugar
110g butter, at room temp
30ml lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon

1 bar milk chocolate for the writing

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line 2 x 8" cake tins with baking parchment and set aside.

Beat together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the beaten eggs and mix together until combined. Sift in the flour and baking powder then add the lemon zest and gently fold the mixture until fully incorporated with no visible lumps of flour. Divide between the 2 baking tins and level out. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden - remove and check by sticking in a piece of dried spaghetti, its done if it comes out clean. Allow to fully cool on a cooling rack.

Once cooled, use a bread knife to cut off the risen tops to give you a flat surface. Put a blob of lemon curd on the cake stand, board or plate and place on one of the cakes to keep it in place. Spread a layer of lemon curd on the top and place the other cake, bottom side up on top - so you have a nice smooth flat surface. 

For the frosting it is much easier to use an electric mixer than to do this by hand unless you have arms of steel. Sift the icing sugar onto the butter in the mixing bowl and start the mixer off on a low speed (else you'll have the kitchen submerged in a cloud of icing sugar). Add the lemon juice and zest and increase to a high speed. Mix for about 5 minutes until smooth. I find you usually have to add more icing sugar to get the right consistency so just make a judgement call here when you think it looks right and is not runny. When you're happy spread over the cake, leaving some peaks for texture. Add writing if required by melting the chocolate in the microwave and transferring to a piping bag - I hope your writing turns out better than mine! 

Here is the portrait I did for him, the likeness is uncanny...